


A Stark Family Christmas

by Wonderlandleighleigh



Series: Avengers Family Holiday [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: AU, F/M, Future Fic, Gen, Kidfic, holiday fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-27
Updated: 2018-12-27
Packaged: 2019-09-28 19:34:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17189069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wonderlandleighleigh/pseuds/Wonderlandleighleigh
Summary: Tony and Pepper and the holidays, somewhere down the line.





	A Stark Family Christmas

“Welcome home, Miss Stark.” 

Maria Virginia Stark grins as she sets her wheeled suitcase off to the side in the main living quarters in Stark Tower. “Hi, Friday. Anybody home yet?” 

The house, of course, looks the same as when she left for school. The heat is running, making it the perfect temperature to warm up after being out in the cold. New York is not exactly paradise in December, and the temperature change from Stanford is intense, but nothing she can’t handle. 

“Your mother is still at the office,” Friday tells her. “Your father is down in his lab.”

“How busy?” Maria asks as she sheds her coat and scarf. 

“Never too busy for you.” 

She turns and grins as he steps into the living room. “I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t interrupting.” 

He grins back and walks over. “Not ever. You know that. C’mere, my little Dean’s lister.” Tony wraps his arms around her, hugging her tightly and lifting her off the ground. 

Maria yelps a little and holds onto him. “Dad!” 

He pulls back and looks her up and down, frowning. “You look skinnier than when we left you in California. How is that possible? Dorm food is awful.” 

“I guess that’s why I don’t eat as much,” Maria tells him, tugging her gloves off and grinning. 

“No, no, you’re supposed to gain the freshman fifteen,” Tony scolds her playfully. “You shoulda seen me, first semester at MIT? Little porker.” 

“Well, I’ve also been working out,” Maria admits. “The gym is enormous there.” 

“You are way too responsible,” Tony chides, tugging on a lock of her dark hair gently. “At least tell me you went to some wild parties and did things your mother would faint over.” 

Maria bites her lip, raising her eyebrows. 

“See, that’s my girl.” He kisses her forehead. “Your mom made reservations for Babbo tonight. Ready for some ridiculously good Italian food?” 

“Sure,” she says. “Sounds great.” 

He grins and hugs her again. “Welcome home, kid.” He pulls back and grins. “Get settled and then come downstairs. I’m working on an improved arc reactor for my suits, and a second pair of eyes could help.” 

*****

It’s a few hours later when Pepper steps into the house. She grins when she sees Maria’s coat hanging on the coat rack. “Friday?” 

“They’re in the garage,” the AI tells her. 

“Thanks.” Pepper takes the elevator down to the ground floor, and then walks down the stairs at a quick clip, hearing voices echo from the basement lab/garage.

“I just don’t know why I never thought of it before,” Tony says, his voice proud and a little frustrated. 

“Cause you were too busy building suits,” Maria teases. 

Pepper turns the corner and finds them both dismantling a Porsche. “What are you two up to?” 

“Maria wants a car at Stanford,” Tony starts explaining. “And I said, ‘cars are a big responsibility. It’s a lot of upkeep, and gas isn’t cheap-” 

“And then I asked,” Maria interrupts. “‘Dad, how come you’ve never put an arc reactor in a car?’” 

“And I couldn’t answer that,” Tony finishes. “So now we’re putting an arc reactor in a car.” He wipes his hands off on a towel and walks over to Pepper, pecking her lips. “Our kid’s pretty great. Dean’s list, showing up her old man in the ideas department.” 

Pepper kisses him back and then walks over to Maria, hugging her tightly, not caring if her hands and arms are covered in engine grease. “I know. Hi, sweetie. How was your flight?” 

“Fine,” Maria smiles, hugging her back. “The uber from the airport sucked, though.” 

Pepper chuckles softly and pulls back, stroking her daughter’s hair. “I tried to convince Happy to pick you up, but he’s very worried about security at the office.” 

Tony frowns. “Why?” 

“He thinks Christmas brings out the worst in people.” 

“Sounds like Happy.” 

Pepper grins at them. “Dinner reservations are at eight. And all three of us need to shower and change.” 

Tony sighs deeply and shakes his head. “I don’t suppose we can convince you to cancel the reservations, order in some Chinese food and hang out with us while we dismantle this car.” 

“No.” 

Maria kisses Pepper’s cheek and then dashes for the stairs. “It’s gonna take forever to do my hair!” 

Tony shakes his head and wraps his arms around Pepper. “God I’m glad she’s home.” 

Pepper smiles. “Me, too. Come on.” 

****** 

Tony grins at the waiter. “So, we’re gonna have a bottle of persco, an order of the grilled octopus to share, my wife will have the goat cheese ravioli, the kid is gonna have the mint love letters, and I will have the spaghettini.” 

The waiter nods. “Yes, sir.” 

Tony nods back and then turns back to the women at the table. “Okay, so we’ve got a couple of days before the insanity starts. The Stark Industries Christmas party is Thursday night, The Avengers holiday shindig is Saturday night. Christmas Eve I think is just the three of us, but Rhodey and Carol might pop in. Christmas day, Cap and Zondra are having a big dinner party at their place. After that it should be smooth sailing until New Years.” 

“Which we’re hosting at the Tower,” Pepper jumps in.

“Wow, why is Christmas so much busier than normal?” Maria asks as she sips her water. 

Tony shifts a little in his seat. “I just figured it’s better to be busy.” He grins. “And this way you and your mom get to go dress shopping together.” 

Maria lights up. “Score! How much do I have to beg to be able to use the AMEX Black card?” 

“Don’t look at me,” Tony lifts his hands. “I’m not allowed to use that card anymore.” 

“Well, when you get drunk and try to buy six hundred Shake Weights…” 

Maria frowns and looks to her father, eyes wide. “Dad.” 

“It was for a project!” Tony cries. “And Thor was egging me on!” 

Pepper laughs despite herself, and takes his hand, grinning at him fondly. 

“I had them next day aired,” Tony admits, making Maria giggle. “So like the next afternoon, the Fedex guy shows up, with just...cases upon cases of Shake Weights, and Cap was so bewildered. I showed him how to use one and he turned bright red.” 

Maria laughs harder, holding a hand to her mouth. “How had I never heard this story before?” 

“It’s my deep dark shame,” Tony tells her. 

“What happened to all those Shake Weights, anyways?” Pepper asks. 

Tony sits back, crossing his arms, looking thoughtful. “Whelp. I tried to use them in that project Thor was egging me on to try...which was to...try and use them to generate energy. Like if I build six hundred robot hands, that were specifically designed to hold a Shake Weight, and then hooked them all up to a generator, could they power that generator?” 

Maria shakes her head. “Dad.” 

“So I built five of those robot arms,” Tony goes on. “And then I got bored. And then I donated the Shake Weights to a bunch of women’s shelters around the city.” 

The waiter steps over, trying to hide an amused smile. “Your appetizer.” 

Tony grins as he sets it down. “Go ahead and laugh. I swear to god one day I’m going to write a tell-all about the Avengers called ‘Dumb Superhero Tricks.’” 

The waiter nods. “I would read that.” 

Maria smirks up at the waiter. “I’ve got stories too.” 

“Save ‘em for the convent,” Tony interjects. “Eat up.” 

Maria pouts and grabs a fork. “Salting my game.” 

“Flirt on your own time, kid,” Tony teases her. 

Pepper grins and shakes her head. 

***** 

At three in the morning, a bang wakes Pepper from a dead sleep, and she looks around frantically. 

“Just- Just grab the fire extinguisher!” she hears from dining room.

“Got it!” 

“Right! I should have turned the power supply off first.” 

“You think?! God, Dad!” 

“Hey! Don’t you judge me, I’m old!” 

Pepper can’t help grinning as she lays back down, and the bickering continues for a few moments before it dies down, and she drifts back to sleep. 

***** 

“Alright,” Pepper says as they get into the car (not the one Maria and Tony were working on. Her car. The one Tony is not allowed to touch). “So we need gowns for the Stark Industries party, and cocktail dresses for the Avengers party, and then another gown for the New Years event.” 

Maria looks out the window as her mother drives. “Have things been okay here?” 

Pepper glances at her and the nods. “You know, things are okay. Your dad and I are okay, and business is normal. The Avengers have been good.” 

Maria nods back and takes a breath. “I was really worried when I left.” 

“I know, sweetie, but we’re adults,” Pepper reminds her. “And we love you, but you need to be able to go off and live your own life without having to worry about how we are.” 

Maria doesn’t respond, just keeping looking out the window. “But if things weren’t okay, you’d tell me, right? You’d call?” 

“If we didn’t, your Uncle Steve would,” Pepper jokes. “But really...we are totally okay. You’re dad is slightly more nutty professor than he used to be, but he’s still going to therapy, and there haven’t been any team blow-ups lately. And all the kids are home now for the holidays. He so excited that you’re home.” 

“I’m excited, too,” Maria smiles. “I didn’t realize how homesick I was until I was taking a care apart with Dad.” 

Pepper smiles.

“It’s weird that Annie is away for the holidays,” Maria comments. “She’s always here.” 

“Annie will be back for the New Years party,” Pepper says gently, feeling a little sad that her oldest girl won’t be home for Christmas. “She’s got a lot to do in Japan. And she sent gifts home for all of us.” 

“How’s dad taking it?” 

“Hard,” Pepper admits. “But it’ll be okay.” 

***** 

“Absolutely not.” 

Maria pouts and stomps a foot. “Mom.” 

“Young lady, you will wear something that covers your breasts, or you won’t come to the party at all.” 

Maria groans and storms back into the dressing room. 

Pepper smirks and shakes her head, glancing at the attendant and shrugging. “Kids.” 

***** 

When they get home, there is an enormous tree in the living room, that was probably there when Maria arrived the day before, but she didn’t notice. It’s not decorated yet, but there’s a large cardboard box of ornaments, and Tony is playing with a tangle of string lights on the floor beneath it. 

“Hey!” Tony grins at them. “I found the tree stuff. We gotta get to work.” 

They get to work, talking and joking around, and at one point, Tony nearly lights the tree on fire, but in the end, their newly-trimmed Christmas tree lights up the entire room. 

“Not bad, Team Stark,” Tony grins, wrapping one arm around Pepper’s waist, and the other around Maria’s shoulders. “Not bad at all.”


End file.
